Beaches
by ALilyPea
Summary: He wonders if she remembers the day that they first met on the beach. She does. WeeVer


Their first meeting ever was on a beach, and he finds himself wondering if she remembers that.

She probably doesn't.

It was before everything, before she became friends with Lilly Kane, before she went out with that douchebag Duncan and before Logan Echolls moved to Neptune.

Before everything changed.

It was before he'd changed too.

But just after his mom left, dropping them off at his abuelita's and wishing them well before she went to score her next trick and her latest hit.

Weevil was still Eli then, years away from being a biker, but not too far away from his first arrest.

He still thought girls had cooties, germs that he could keep away from him just by getting an imaginary shot.

Veronica wasn't just another girl though, she never had been.

Her hair was lighter than, bleached from playing on the beach in the bright sunny weather of summer.

His skin was darker, long removed from the idea of drinking and causing a riot all night and sleeping through the day.

"What are you doing?" she'd asked him, her head tilting to the side in the same way it did now.

Eli had remembered how his cousin's act, how his mother's boyfriend had acted although in hindsight he was probably her pimp. They all acted tough, like they didn't have a care in the world, except they were the ones in control.

He'd liked the thought of control, hadn't realized that having it could spin him out of control just as easily.

"What's it to you?" he'd asked her in reply, his chin jutting out and squinting at her as the sun got in his eyes.

Veronica had smiled at him, and even at such a young age he'd been dazzled.

"I want to help," she'd said simply, sitting down in the sand next to him and helping him build the little boat made out of sticks and boards, which promised to float in the ocean.

They worked on it all day, silence reigning over most of it, except for when she broke it to tell him some new fact she'd learned about dogs since getting a puppy which her father and her had named Backup.

Eli hadn't asked about her mother, knowing sometimes mothers did bad things. He'd assumed hers had.

He also didn't mention the fact that her father had arrested his uncle the week before, and his abuelita had screamed at her middle son until his face had turned beat red before turning on him and telling him never to be like his elders.

He wanted to be like them, wanted to be tough and feared.

Maybe then the rich kids wouldn't laugh at him so much, he'd thought then.

Of course he discovered later on in life that the rich kids would laugh just as much if you got dragged out of your high school graduation in handcuffs, or were forced to become a janitor at a college.

Arms slipped around his waist from behind as he stared out at the water, and he smiled as a chin propped itself on his shoulder, the owner of both a little too short to reach.

"What are you thinking of?" her voice was playful as she asked the question and he could close her eyes and picture the amusement in her eyes.

Weevil shrugged; turning partway to gather her in his arms he pressed his lips to her forehead with a soft sigh.

"That better be a happy sigh there Eli Navarro," she told him, her voice only half serious as her lips brushed his.

"It's half happy," Eli admitted, smiling at her slightly. "Mrs. Navarro," he murmured the name softly, his grip on her waist tightening the slightest bit.

"Mars-Navarro," Veronica corrected, laughing softly when his fingers dug into her side, tickling her.

"So what were you thinking about?" she asked again.

"The first time we met," Eli responded, nibbling on his bottom lip lightly as his touch turned gentle once again.

"You were building one of these," Veronica pulled a cellophane wrapped package out from behind her back, the ring on her left hand glittering as she held the boat out to him.

Eli took it from her hand, a small smile on his face as he looked down at it then at her.

"Help me build it?" he asked, his voice hoarse.

Veronica kissed him softly on the lips before dropping to the sand next to him, taking the package she tore it open, scattering the pieces in the sand.

Hunkering down next to her Eli unbuttoned the white shirt he was wearing, rolling up the sleeves as he prepared to build the childhood toy with her.

"Do you think this one will float?" he questioned, helping her gather the pieces that fit together like a puzzle to form the bottom of the boat.

Veronica nodded her head, kissing him again. "Of course."

Eli smiled to himself, realizing something for the first time in a long time.

He would never be Weevil again.

It was okay though, because he had Veronica.


End file.
